Welp...looks like I may need an MRI

Paullys50

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
67
Reaction score
3
So, I seem to be having some questionable liver fictions at the moment. Waiting on the results of the CT scan they did first to see if they feel an MRI is warranted. Probably find out in the next week or so.

Anyway, props to Med-El and their timing FDA approval for 1.5T MRI without having to remove the magnet. Keep you posted if I need to go through with it or not.
 
risk your magnet I remember doctor. risk your doctor. It is very last times I remember doctor said remove implant then if you already go process to risk to MRI. it is very risk magnet is very dangerous. be lucky for you wish!
 
I asked at 3 different MRI places before I got my CI and none of them would do any MRI's on ANYONE with a CI, Med-El or not. They didn't want to risk the liability. Just something to look into. Obviously that is not all of them but, that was what I found out.
 
Wirelessly posted

There are other ways to test your liver functions without a MRI. I would get a second opinion before getting a MRI with a CI.
 
CT scan liver biopsy and an endoscopy will all be done, however it may be that I will require routine screening of my liver moving forward. Getting bombarded by radiation via CT scans won't be ideal in the long run either.
 
Good luck.
They cant get what they need with blood work or taking a sample from your liver? (thats what they used to do, up here anyway)
 
There is more to this story....

The results of my CT scan came back, and a number of things are concerning. Right now it looks like I *may* have an untreatable liver disease which would probably require me to have a liver transplant by the time I'm 50.

Or die by that time if I can't get a transplant.

But they need more information to make the proper diagnosis as it could be another auto-immune related issue which is more treatable and has better long-term prospects. A liver biopsy is another test which has been discussed, however there are multiple areas in question and the biopsy simply cannot provide broad enough feedback for the areas in question. The Hepatologist is pushing the CI team to purse the MRI avenue, and of course the MRI team would be pushed as well. I've already begun to make contact with Med-El to see if they can provide further support on the issue, but due to the holidays things will be delayed.

From the conversation with the Hepatologist, the MRI is the best method to examine the issues and make the diagnosis. I have various health issues at the moment, and medication can do more harm than good to the liver as well. So, again it's extremely important to understand what the situation with my liver is so they prescribe proper medication and limit additional liver damage due to medication. To me it seems there is just as much risk in not having the MRI and them making an "educated guess" based on limited information.

Obviously I think this is a situation in which the benefits of the MRI are much greater than the risk, and hopefully everyone involved will come to the same agreement even if it is with reservations. I'm not suggesting people with a CI make MRI scans the norm, but at the same time it has to be known that this is a possibility. After all, I'm the one who told them that it is a possibility to perform an MRI with my particular implant and if technology and thinking are changing, then the medical field needs to be educated.

As I mentioned in a prior post, I will most likely need routine screening of my liver, especially if I do have the untreatable diagnosis as we will need to monitor how fast or slow my liver is degrading. So the need for this will be there for many years to come. Plus, I need to know if I should stop investing in my 401K and use that money to start paying monster premiums for a better life-insurance plan, morbid thought but it's reality.
 
There is more to this story....

The results of my CT scan came back, and a number of things are concerning. Right now it looks like I *may* have an untreatable liver disease which would probably require me to have a liver transplant by the time I'm 50.

Or die by that time if I can't get a transplant.

But they need more information to make the proper diagnosis as it could be another auto-immune related issue which is more treatable and has better long-term prospects. A liver biopsy is another test which has been discussed, however there are multiple areas in question and the biopsy simply cannot provide broad enough feedback for the areas in question. The Hepatologist is pushing the CI team to purse the MRI avenue, and of course the MRI team would be pushed as well. I've already begun to make contact with Med-El to see if they can provide further support on the issue, but due to the holidays things will be delayed.

From the conversation with the Hepatologist, the MRI is the best method to examine the issues and make the diagnosis. I have various health issues at the moment, and medication can do more harm than good to the liver as well. So, again it's extremely important to understand what the situation with my liver is so they prescribe proper medication and limit additional liver damage due to medication. To me it seems there is just as much risk in not having the MRI and them making an "educated guess" based on limited information.

Obviously I think this is a situation in which the benefits of the MRI are much greater than the risk, and hopefully everyone involved will come to the same agreement even if it is with reservations. I'm not suggesting people with a CI make MRI scans the norm, but at the same time it has to be known that this is a possibility. After all, I'm the one who told them that it is a possibility to perform an MRI with my particular implant and if technology and thinking are changing, then the medical field needs to be educated.

As I mentioned in a prior post, I will most likely need routine screening of my liver, especially if I do have the untreatable diagnosis as we will need to monitor how fast or slow my liver is degrading. So the need for this will be there for many years to come. Plus, I need to know if I should stop investing in my 401K and use that money to start paying monster premiums for a better life-insurance plan, morbid thought but it's reality.


ouch it is risk for you, CI team is very smart wise won't approval or approval possible. I guess. . insecure for you. CI team approval. don't want to destory you liver or you diagnose. CI team make sure your diagnose healthy 100% correct. They want to correct. They understood make sure careful high clear to perfect communication. it is uneasy. it is failure too bad for you. It is should be early for you important. it is too late
 
You can always get another implant but you really can't come back from the dead...

Insurance premiums--just make sure you really look at the total costs. Is the extra premium less then what you pay out of pocket, often times it ends up costing more to do that.

Have you gone for a second opinion? Are you going to Mayo?
 
Have not gone for a second opinion, pretty sure I'll just hit the same stall point with the MRI so I'm waiting until I have an actual diagnosis before I ask for another opinion. Yes, going to Mayo.
 
Back
Top